Did You Know Absinthe Is ...

• Not poisonous, and never was?• Not hallucinogenic, and never was?• Legal in the USA since the 1960s?• Not just a novelty? There are fine absinthes, just like fine wine, whisky, and cognac. Read more here:

Absinthe Evaluation Tutorial

Do you know how to tell a great absinthe from a so-so absinthe? What does one look for, or demand, in a glass of absinthe? Just as with fine wine, fine absinthe has a whole language and system for evaluation and tasting.

Editor reviews

Average editor rating from: 2 user(s)

The colour is a decent green, slightly olive. A tad dark, but clear and sediment free. It smells sweet and star anisey. A little floral. Frankincense, oddly enough.

The louche is instantaneous and very thick. Nice milk jade colour but a bit flat and lacking in subtlety. With water it smells fruitier than star anise normally comes across to me. Wormwood not as evident as before water. Resiny and a tad citrusy.

The flavour definitely reminds me of raw frankincense from the first sip, from the spice to the waxiness. Star anise is numbing but is held in check flavour-wise. Wormwood is unremarkable and laid back. Hard to find much else as the dominant flavours are so overbearing. Mildly bitter.

Wormwoody and spicy, the finish is relatively brief and lacks excitement.

I like what this absinthe is going for, but I just don't think it succeeds. It's not terrible but I wouldn't go out of my way to get my hands on it again.

Salvageable with a few adjustments.

The colour is a decent green, slightly olive. A tad dark, but clear and sediment free. It smells sweet and star anisey. A little floral. Frankincense, oddly enough.

The louche is instantaneous and very thick. Nice milk jade colour but a bit flat and lacking in subtlety. With water it smells fruitier than star anise normally comes across to me. Wormwood not as evident as before water. Resiny and a tad citrusy.

The flavour definitely reminds me of raw frankincense from the first sip, from the spice to the waxiness. Star anise is numbing but is held in check flavour-wise. Wormwood is unremarkable and laid back. Hard to find much else as the dominant flavours are so overbearing. Mildly bitter.

Wormwoody and spicy, the finish is relatively brief and lacks excitement.

I like what this absinthe is going for, but I just don't think it succeeds. It's not terrible but I wouldn't go out of my way to get my hands on it again.

Color: Green, but a bit murky. Not quite inviting, but not quite off-putting either.

Louche: Wow. VERY thick. Inappropriately so. Almost as heavy as whole milk. Tough to drink with such a heavy mouthfeel.

Aroma: Not too bad. Herbal and floral with some wormwood and quite a bit of anise.

Flavor: Again, very thick, even at 4:1 water:absinthe. It's rather basic in its profile, but you can pick out the normal trinity, mainly anise and some wormwood. It's drinkable, but nothing special.

Finish: A bit dry and acrid due to the maceration of wormwood, but surprisingly, not entirely undrinkable. It makes me wonder how much actual wormwood is used, since in many situations the acridity of macerated wormwood is so strong that it's unberable.

Overall: Not too bad. My main issue is the thickness. Aside from that, it's a middle of the road brand. It's nothing I'd go out of my way to buy, but I wouldn't turn down a glass if someone bought it for me at a bar or restaurant.

Heavy, but not terrible

Color: Green, but a bit murky. Not quite inviting, but not quite off-putting either.

Louche: Wow. VERY thick. Inappropriately so. Almost as heavy as whole milk. Tough to drink with such a heavy mouthfeel.

Aroma: Not too bad. Herbal and floral with some wormwood and quite a bit of anise.

Flavor: Again, very thick, even at 4:1 water:absinthe. It's rather basic in its profile, but you can pick out the normal trinity, mainly anise and some wormwood. It's drinkable, but nothing special.

Finish: A bit dry and acrid due to the maceration of wormwood, but surprisingly, not entirely undrinkable. It makes me wonder how much actual wormwood is used, since in many situations the acridity of macerated wormwood is so strong that it's unberable.

Overall: Not too bad. My main issue is the thickness. Aside from that, it's a middle of the road brand. It's nothing I'd go out of my way to buy, but I wouldn't turn down a glass if someone bought it for me at a bar or restaurant.

Average user rating from: 2 user(s)

*The bottle pictured here is not the current design. The bottles now have a new label, the same matt finish jet black glass

Preparation
A slow drip from a fountain of ice water.

Color Before Water
olive, not eye popping but it's natural and attractive. I had a tiny bit of sediment with each pour. Others haven't had this issue. My guess is shipping in the dead heat of summer caused erosion to the cork. No points lost.

Aroma Before Water
A lovely herbal and floral nose with the Anise and Fennel not so upfront - there's balance to it. At 136 Proof I expected some real heat from the alcohol but there isn't. A definite plus.

Louche
Impressive. Nice oil trails and a lazy roll of turbulent waves that puff up at the bottom of the glass. It's like watching storm clouds in slow motion - great fun. The color is typical, milky white with the a slight green tint.

Aroma After Water
Delicate and floral with a splendid side of Anise and herbs. It's very clean with zero funk or odd, off putting aroma.

Flavor
Delicious. La Muse has no sugar whatsoever - The Wormwood is sharp and up front. It's savory and more complex than any US available Absinthe I've tried.

The Finish
A gentle numbing of the tongue - no lingering aftertaste. But it ends quickly, leaving you little to savor.

Final Impression
At $65 La Muse Verte provides great value. More sophisticated palates may long for deeper complexity. It's not that La Muse lacks delicate nuances, they're just not as pronounced. La Muse is lovely, crisp and flavorful - I would recommend giving it a try.

La Muse Verte - A Very Pleasant Surprise

*The bottle pictured here is not the current design. The bottles now have a new label, the same matt finish jet black glass

Preparation
A slow drip from a fountain of ice water.

Color Before Water
olive, not eye popping but it's natural and attractive. I had a tiny bit of sediment with each pour. Others haven't had this issue. My guess is shipping in the dead heat of summer caused erosion to the cork. No points lost.

Aroma Before Water
A lovely herbal and floral nose with the Anise and Fennel not so upfront - there's balance to it. At 136 Proof I expected some real heat from the alcohol but there isn't. A definite plus.

Louche
Impressive. Nice oil trails and a lazy roll of turbulent waves that puff up at the bottom of the glass. It's like watching storm clouds in slow motion - great fun. The color is typical, milky white with the a slight green tint.

Aroma After Water
Delicate and floral with a splendid side of Anise and herbs. It's very clean with zero funk or odd, off putting aroma.

Flavor
Delicious. La Muse has no sugar whatsoever - The Wormwood is sharp and up front. It's savory and more complex than any US available Absinthe I've tried.

The Finish
A gentle numbing of the tongue - no lingering aftertaste. But it ends quickly, leaving you little to savor.

Final Impression
At $65 La Muse Verte provides great value. More sophisticated palates may long for deeper complexity. It's not that La Muse lacks delicate nuances, they're just not as pronounced. La Muse is lovely, crisp and flavorful - I would recommend giving it a try.

First off I would like to say I have not actually tried the original Muse Verte. I have only had the 2004 special edition La Muse Verte, same bottle, different picture and more wormwood. The color is a greenish yellow that is truly beautiful and an aroma that fills the room. I prepared it according to traditional style and upon tasting it I was shocked how much more rich and flavorful it was than others. The louch was a show; it turned a cloudy yellowish green that seemed to shine in the light. I was sad when I had finished the bottle because it always felt like there was more in it because the bottle was so heavy and opaque. I just ordered another bottle of this. So I recommend that you try it!

best absenthe i have ever tried

First off I would like to say I have not actually tried the original Muse Verte. I have only had the 2004 special edition La Muse Verte, same bottle, different picture and more wormwood. The color is a greenish yellow that is truly beautiful and an aroma that fills the room. I prepared it according to traditional style and upon tasting it I was shocked how much more rich and flavorful it was than others. The louch was a show; it turned a cloudy yellowish green that seemed to shine in the light. I was sad when I had finished the bottle because it always felt like there was more in it because the bottle was so heavy and opaque. I just ordered another bottle of this. So I recommend that you try it!